


You Can Have Manhattan

by triflingthings



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Aged-Up Characters, College AU, F/M, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:14:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23772142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/triflingthings/pseuds/triflingthings
Summary: Nini had no intention of telling Ricky about her current situation. She had her reasons, but it seemed that fate didn't agree.
Relationships: Ricky Bowen & Nini Salazar-Roberts, Ricky Bowen/Nini Salazar-Roberts
Comments: 10
Kudos: 92





	You Can Have Manhattan

**Six Months Ago**

"No!" Nini said sharply. She spun around to face the man behind her and laid her palms on the granite counter top. "I won't be what holds you back, and I won't put my life on hold. I'm twenty years-old, Ricky! I won't just drop out of college half-way through my junior year, but I won't make you stay here, either." She shook her head as hot tears welled in her eyes.

Ricky raked his palms down his face and sighed deeply. "I'm not asking you to drop out, but I won't let this keep us apart! Your courses can be done online easily, Neens. You don't have to worry about not finishing your degree. It'll be the same, just a little bit away from here," he told her, pleading that she would see his side of the argument.

Nini's mouth dropped and her eyes widened. For a moment she had no idea what to say. How could he think this way? How could he think so little of her? She would be giving up so much - her friends, her family, her home. The tears began to fall in large drops.

"A little bit away?" she questioned incredulously. "Two thousand miles isn't 'a little bit away', Ricky! Are you crazy?" She began to pace around the small kitchen of their apartment, fingers threading through her hair. "Ricky, I have a life here! You're asking me to leave my moms, our friends! Just so that I stay cooped up in another apartment somewhere that I know nothing about?" She shook her head and stalked out of the kitchen and into their bedroom. 

"Nini, please! Just try and understand from my perspective. This is an opportunity that I'll probably never get again, and I want you to experience it with me," he said as his voice broke and tears rolled down his cheeks.

Nini sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands. Her voice came out muffled, but Ricky heard her nonetheless. "I know how big of an opportunity this is, Ricky. That's why you're going to go, and I'm not. I won't hold you back from this, and I won't give up my life. You know that this isn't going to work just as well as I do."

Ricky sat on his knees at the foot of the bed, right next to where Nini was sitting. He rested his head in her lap as the tears continued to fall. "Please don't do this, Neens," he begged. But it was too late. They both knew it.

She choked back a sob as it became real. One hand covered her mouth to muffle the sound while the other made its way through Ricky's curls. The tears were falling freely now, neither of them trying to erase the salty tracks. 

By the next morning, Ricky's belongings were almost completely gone, with only a cable knit sweater a a few socks that he had forgotten remaining. The sweater was Nini's favorite; she didn't think that he left that behind on accident.

Shutting the door behind him, she took a deep breath and steadied herself. Her eyes were puffy from the night that the two of them had spent together, crying and lying in each other's arms. Her head knocked on the wooden door as she slid to the floor.

Who the hell was she without him?

-

**Present Day**

Nini waddled into her kitchen, grabbing the jar out peanut butter and a spoon before making her way to the couch in the living room. She sat down, rather ungracefully, and twisted the lid off of the jar. A rerun of _New Girl_ was playing on her TV, but she was hardly paying attention. She swung her slightly swollen feet onto the coffee table and picked up her phone.

There was a text from Kourtney at the top of her screen, asking if she had done the assignment for their chemistry lab, and another from Seb stating that he'd be over around 4:00 with a movie and a smoothie. She responded to both before returning to the jar in her lap. She'd had a lot of cravings over the past few months, but the most common by far had been peanut butter. Chunky, smooth - it didn't matter. She'd gone through an unimaginable amount of jars since the cravings had started kicking in.

She set the jar on the table and placed the spoon inside of it. She sighed and looked down at her bulging stomach. She had been putting off finding out the gender, wanting it to remain a surprise. But in recent weeks, she had been more and more keen on finding out. Something inside of her was anxious to know more about the baby that she would be holding in her arms in two months. 

She had a scan the next afternoon, and she was still debating whether or not she would ask Dr. Adams to tell her the gender. She eyed the quarter that was sitting next to her feet. She groaned lightly as she bent to pick it up, twisting it between her fingers. She felt like an idiot for even considering using a disk to make a decision for her. She placed the coin on the nail of her thumb, sighing as she prepared to flick it into the air.

Just before she flipped the coin, her phone buzzed from her lap. Nini tossed the coin onto the coffee table before checking the notification. 

_rickybowen posted a photo!_

Her breathing hitched as she stared at the screen. Slowly, hesitantly, she opened the app. It was a picture of him with Big Red, both of them grinning like little kids. Reading the caption, she realized that he was here. He was back home, back with their friends. But he wasn't with her. He hadn't been in six months. And he had no idea that she had been throwing up every morning for the last few months, that her ankles were beginning to swell, that she could very well find out whether she would be having a baby girl or a baby boy within the next twenty-four hours. He had no idea.

She didn't blame him for it, of course. She had never told him, and she had asked their friends to keep it a secret, as well. They didn't approve, but they respected her enough to do as she wished. She thought about telling him at first, but she knew that he would have packed up his things and left New York City as soon as he heard, dropping his record deal in an instance. He had only been there for two weeks, and she couldn't have lived with herself if she held him back. She remembered the conversation that she had with Kourtney the day that she told her extremely clearly:

_"Holy shit!" Kourtney exclaimed. "A baby, Neens. You're having a baby! Like an actual, real-life, physical baby."_

_Nini laughed softly. "Yeah, Kourt, that's usually what happens when you get pregnant." She was still coming to terms with it, herself. She had no idea how she was going to manage school and a baby._

_"How did Ricky react?" Kourtney asked. Nini expected this question, but she wasn't ready to hear her best friend's reaction._

_"Well," Nini began, "I haven't actually told him, and I'm not going to. When we broke up, the only thing I said was that I wouldn't hold him back, but holding him back is the only thing I'd be doing if I told him. I can't do that, Kourt."_

_The girl sitting next to her on the couch was gaping in her direction. She began to speak multiple times before she formed a coherent sentence. "Nini, you have to tell him. He's the dad, for fuck's sake! He'll be destroyed if he finds out that he has a kid later along the line that he didn't even know about, and you know it as well as I do."_

_"I know, I know," Nini sighed. "I just can't. I can't destroy his career like that. If he drops the record label then he'll probably never get another one, and I'll be the cause of it. Even if we never ended up together, I'd end up dropping the kid off at his place for the weekend and all I'll be able to think about when I see him is that he could be making it big if I hadn't said two little words to him."_

_Kourtney looked at her best friend with sadness in her eyes. She smiled softly and placed her arms around Nini's neck. "Of course I'll keep it a secret, if that's what you want. I'll even help you tell all of our other friends when you're ready."_

_Nini felt tears roll down her cheeks. "Thank you, Kourt," she whispered._

_Kourtney rubbed her hand up and down Nini's back and sighed softly. "Of course, Neens."_

Part of her still felt terrible for not telling him. He would have been a great father, she knew. They would have been a real family, with the sweet Christmas mornings and birthdays and movie nights. She felt emotional just thinking about it, but she wasn't sure if that was from the hormones or how much he missed the boy that she loves.

She hauled herself off of the couch and walked into her room. She pulled the knit sweater that Ricky had left behind off of the hanger. She pulled her sweatshirt off and tugged the sweater over her head. The material was tight around her swollen stomach, but it was big even when Ricky wore it, so she managed. The material of the sweater was soft to the touch and made her feel secure. She remembered lying in Ricky's arm while he was wearing the sweater, how it made her feel warm and happy. How _he_ made her feel warm and happy.

Nini laid down on the bed, in the same spot where Ricky slept six months ago. The picture of them that Ashlyn had taken last year was still neatly in the frame; she couldn't make herself put it up. She wasn't ashamed to admit that she still loved him. It was noticeable any time that his name was mentioned, and her friends have mentioned it here and there. She tried to remain friendly but neutral when they exchanged messages, on the off chance that they spoke. Nini had found that distancing herself from him was the only way to manage any form of moving on.

But even her distance from Ricky hadn't stopped her thinking about him. Everything in her apartment reminded her of him: the candle in the kitchen, the walls in the second bedroom (now the nursery) that he had painted a soft yellow, the self of vinyls that he had surprised her with for her twentieth birthday. Everywhere she looked, the ghost of their relationship was in front of her. 

Her friends had been kind enough to deal with her post-breakup emotions, and were still kind enough to deal with her pregnancy emotions. Even Big Red, who she wouldn't have blamed for being awkward around her, was always there for her whenever she needed it. It was often that he and Ashlyn would bring her takeout and watch the newest episode of _The Bachelor_ , doing everything that they could to make her happy, without ever realizing that she was happy just because they were there. 

She had asked Big Red and Ashlyn to be the godparents of her baby two months after they had found out. She wasn't Catholic, or even very religious, but she had felt that it was necessary for her baby to have somewhere to grow up if something were to happen to her. The couple had accepted gladly, kissing her cheeks and squeezing her as tightly as they could without causing her discomfort. She had worried that her other friends would be offended that they weren't asked, but they understood. Kourtney had never been one to want to be a mom, Carlos and Seb planned to travel as much as possible, and E.J. was working constantly while Gina spent most days filming in downtown Salt Lake City. They all understood that Big Red and Ashlyn were as settled down as twenty-one year-olds could be, therefore making them the most sensible option.

She truly didn't understand how she had ended up with such understanding and caring friends. Not one of them had shown any signs of judgement when she had told them of her pregnancy, and had gone out of their way to ask her if she needed anything every day. She appreciated it, of course, but she had asked them to treat her just as they would have otherwise. It didn't take long for their group of friends to fall back into their normal routine, with Wednesday nights being spent at their favorite diner and every other Saturday being dedicated to either movies or binging TV shows. It was a nice distraction from how shattered she still was from her breakup with Ricky, but the pieces were slowly being swept up. Not thrown away, just moved to allow room for other emotions. 

She had begun to drift off when he heard a knock at her front door. She had completely forgotten that Seb was coming over, but was happy nonetheless. She missed him, not having had seen him since he and Carlos had returned from their trip to Santa Monica. She pushed herself off of the mattress and smoothed down her wavy hair. She looked just as she was: tired and seven months pregnant. She wasn't concerned, though. Seb had seen her at her best and her worst, and had never judged her.

She felt a kick as she walked to the front door, and she placed a hand on her stomach. She pulled the door open with a smile on her face, but it was quickly wiped off. In front of her was Ricky Bowen holding two smoothies in his hands. The grin on his face was even wider than hers was before she opened the door, and was erased just as quickly. Her breathing turned erratic as she realized that, first, she was wearing his sweater, and second, _she was carrying his child_ \- neither of which he knew about until this very second. His eyes flitted between her face and her swollen stomach, and she couldn't decide if the emotion that she saw in his eyes was confusion or anger. Probably both. 

"Ricky!" Nini exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" Her voice quivered and she fingered the hem of the sweater. She felt exactly how she looked: tired, anxious, and seven months pregnant. She didn't even want to know what was running through his brain. Of course, that was inevitable at this point.

"Well, uh, I'm back in Salt Lake for a bit and I thought that I would come by and see how you were doing. We haven't been talking much recently, and I just-," he cut himself with a sharp breath and raked his palms down his face. "God, Nini, can I just come in?" He pain on his face was evident, causing a lump to rise in Nini's throat.

She stepped back from her place in the threshold, allowing him room to walk into the apartment that he had once lived in alongside her. He walked slowly, not turning around to face her until he sat down on the couch. His shoulders were slumped and he placed his hands on his knees, look apprehensive about the topic at hand. Nini sat down on the opposite end of the sofa, angling herself slightly to face him, but not enough to look directly into his eyes. She heard him sigh, and she knew that he was struggling to start speaking. 

"So," he began, looking in her direction, "the elephant in the room." He gestured towards her stomach, looking awkward and more confused than before. She knew that there were hundreds of thoughts running through his head at the moment. He had always struggled with talking about things he found uncomfortable, and now was no exception.

"Okay, I know that you're probably very confused," she said, and he scoffed quietly. "You're probably really angry, too," she started again, and he rolled his eyes. "Just let me try to explain, alright?" He stared at his knees for a moment before nodding slightly. She ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath before speaking again. "I found out two weeks after you had left. I would have never hidden it from you if I had found out while you were here, I need you to know that. Even after I found out, part of me wanted to tell you right away. But the other part of me knew that, if I told you, you'd pack up and move back without ever even experiencing New York or doing what you were meant to do! I couldn't live with myself if I held you back like that."

Looking over at Ricky, she saw his mouth hanging open in disbelief. She considered explaining further, but he cut her off before she even got the chance.

"No!" he yelled, standing up and looking angrier than she had seen him in years. "No, you don't get to keep saying that you didn't want to hold me back. That's the excuse that you gave me when you broke up with me and kicked me out, and now you're using it as an excuse as to why you hid my fucking baby from me, Nini. In case you haven't noticed, I played a part in all of this, too. We had consensual, two-person sex! That's what happens, it wasn't just you. It wasn't your burden to carry." His eyes were wild and his hands were raking through his curls. " I love you, Nini. I wanted a family with you. Maybe not now, but someday. We should have been dealing with this together. You can't just keep things like this a secret."

Her mind paused on the fact that he said that he _loves her_ and not that he _loved her_ , but she forces herself to move past it. That wasn't what she needed to be focusing on right now. She couldn't even make herself look at the boy in front of her, shame filling her senses. She knew from the beginning that both telling Ricky and keeping it from him would have their consequences and that neither were a perfect option. She just didn't know that she would have to confront the situation so soon.

"You're right," she stated simply. Ricky's eyes snapped to her face in surprise; he had expected her to be defiant, argumentative. That's just how Nini was. She stood with what she believed in, and he loved that about her.

When Ricky stared at her without speaking, she continued. "You're right, and I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do, so I went with what seemed like the most logical option. I know that I hurt you, but that was never my intention. I've always wanted to see you succeed, Ricky, but I knew that you wouldn't even consider staying if I had told you. I'm sorry, but I don't regret it. Not when the alternative included you not doing what you were meant to do."

And there she was. It was obvious that she felt guilty, but she believed in putting him first, and here she was standing beside that decision. She was so annoyingly, amazingly selfless, always thinking of others before thinking of herself. Her actions always had good intentions following behind them, but sometimes Ricky wished that she would stop and put herself into the mix for once. 

Ricky moved to seat himself next to her on the couch, this time closer than before. He hesitantly set his hand atop hers, and was relieved when he laid her head on his shoulder. "I know that you were doing what you thought was right, Neens. You always do. But here," he gestured around the small studio apartment, "with you, this is where I'm supposed to be. I'm back home because I'm switching labels, but I've been wanting to be back here with you since I left. I don't want Manhattan if it means that I can't have you."

Nini let out something between laughter and a sob, and buried her face deeper into Ricky's shoulder. "Are you seriously making a Sara Bareilles reference right now?"

He laughed and rested his chin on the top of her head. "Of course, it's one of your favorites."

She forced herself to calm down, slowing the tears and sitting up. "Ricky, I'm so fucking sorry. I hate myself for hurting you."

"Hey, stop. I'm upset, but I know that you meant well. And if I don't hate you for it, then you can't hate yourself," he nudged her shoulder as he said this, but the guilt was still evident on her face. His anger had faded when he realized how sincere she was, but she didn't seem to be on the path to forgiving herself anytime soon. "Listen, let's make a promise, okay?" She nodded slightly, not looking at him but instead focusing on their now intertwined hands. "Let's promise to move past this, yeah? We can try things again, if you're okay with that." Nini nodded vigorously before slowing her movements, a blush rising on her cheeks due to her eagerness.

"Wait," she said after a minute, "what about your label? Are you switching to another in New York? Because, Ricky, I want this - us - but I can't raise a kid in a long distance relationship. There's no way that it would work." Tears welled in her eyes once again, any trace of happiness swept off of her face.

"Hey, hey, no, I'm switching to a label here in Salt Lake. I'm here for good, I promise, Bub," he used his old nickname for her, knowing that it would calm her down at least a little bit. He was right, and a soft smile graced her lips.

"So we're gonna do this?" she asked. "Are you ready to be a dad?"

He grinned, looking more like the boy that she knew in high school than he had in years. "Hell yeah, I'm ready to be a dad. We'll figure all of this out, Neens. Everything is gonna be fine. We'll be the coolest parents around," he said through a chuckle. She always knew that Ricky would be a great dad one day, and hoped that she'd be able to experience parenthood by his side. But now it was so real, so near. 

"Do you know the gender?" he whispered.

When she spoke, her voice was muffled from her head finding its place back on his shoulder. "No, I wanted it to be a surprise. I thought that yellow walls would be nice regardless."

Ricky nodded. "I think a surprise is a good idea." He lifted her chin with two fingers, meeting her dark eyes. "Neens, you're going to be such a great mom."

Her bottom lip quivered and her eyes filled with naked adoration. She placed her forehead against his, her eyelids fluttering shut. She felt his breath ghost her cheeks, her lips. Even with eyes closed, she was able to meet his lips, and she felt herself reveling in the moment. The kiss was soft, languid - just the same as she remembered it being six months earlier. It was as if he had never left, and they had been practicing this dance every day. She felt more alive than she had in months, finally where she belonged. 

-

Two months later, when Nini's screams could be heard from every hospital room in the building, Ricky had no clue how he was going to make it. His girlfriend sounded as if she was being murdered, and he had no way of knowing if she felt like she actually was. He didn't have a way of sharing her pain, of making it any easier, and it was killing him. He brought her cups and cups of ice chips, wiped her forehead when the sheen of sweat glistened under the fluorescent lights of the small room, and let her squeeze his hand until he was sure that at least three bones had been turned into nothing more than dust. 

When Nini wailed that she couldn't push anymore, he kissed the back of her hand told her that she had been doing remarkably, and that he would be right by her side for the next few pushes. In actuality, he didn't know if she was doing remarkably, as he had never seen a birth before now, but she didn't need to hear that. After three more pushes, wailing other than Nini's could be heard. Ricky's eyes were wide and his hands were shaking as he cut the umbilical cord. Three minutes and twenty-seven second later - he was counting - his daughter was placed in his arms.

He walked back to the tiny bed, slipping into the spot that Nini had made for him. Together they counted ten fingers and ten toes, one nose, two eyes, a mouth and a belly button. And then they recounted, and recounted again. After the fourth go-around, Nini claimed that she was definitely perfectly healthy, and the couple stared in adoration at their daughter - Charlotte "Charlie" Grace Bowen - in Ricky's arms. Nini traced her small arm and the baby latched her tiny fist around her mother's finger. Both Nini and Ricky laughed lightly, their heads leaning together. 

They had no doubt that the next eighteen years would be full of dirty diapers, first words, school dances, relationships that Ricky was already dreading, and eventual goodbyes. But for now, nothing outside of the four walls surrounding them mattered. For now, it was just the three of them - Ricky, Nini, and Charlie.

And that was more than enough.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm kind of goring through writers block right now, but I hope that this wasn't too bad. Please tell me if you liked it and anything you would like to read in the future! xx


End file.
